Perfect Timing by Dena Blake

Author:Dena Blake [Blake, Dena]
Language: eng
Format: epub
ISBN: 9781635554670
Publisher: Bold Strokes Books
Published: 2020-01-26T16:00:00+00:00

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Lynn was lingering near the surgery waiting room watching, when Maggie came through the door. She wanted to be there in case there wasn’t a good resolution. A smile broke across Maggie’s face as she rushed across the room to the parents and spoke before she dropped down and brushed the hair from the older sister’s eyes. The little girl hugged Maggie, and the weight lifted from Lynn’s shoulders. Everything was okay.

She’d never waited for Beth after surgery. Beth had always been so confident and sure of herself that she’d never let Lynn see any vulnerability, ever. She wasn’t sure if Maggie would be the same, but she hoped not. Long ago Lynn had found she needed a partner who would share the joys and fears of life with her. Beth hadn’t done that with her, or anyone. Her bottled-up emotions made Beth cold and impersonal as the years of their marriage continued. How had Lynn survived it?

When Maggie returned to the elevator and pressed the button, Lynn clearly saw the blanket of panic take over Maggie’s face. Maggie was second-guessing herself. She rushed to her side but didn’t make eye contact. “Helluva job you did with that baby.”

“Was it? Really?” Maggie asked as the elevator doors opened.

Lynn grabbed her arm and tugged her inside. “Stop doubting yourself. To succeed in pediatrics, you have to have lightning-fast critical-thinking skills, good instincts, and the ability to follow your gut.” Tears were brimming at the edges of Maggie’s eyes as she stared straight ahead, and Lynn’s stomach clenched.

“The CT scan wasn’t clear. I only suspected something was still trapped in her airway. What if I’d been wrong?” Maggie’s voice cracked as she spoke. “I would’ve performed an unnecessary procedure on a tiny body.”

“You weren’t wrong.” Lynn’s voice softened, and she took her into her arms. “If you have a hunch that something doesn’t look quite right, you always need to consider it. Pediatric patients can go from awake and talking one minute to completely unresponsive the next—with absolutely no warning.”

She released Maggie and took a step back, reminding herself of the boundaries she’d set for herself. “Unlike adults, children are great at compensating for whatever’s going on until, all of a sudden, they crash.” The elevator doors opened, and they walked to the recovery room where the baby lay sleeping. She took Maggie by the hand and led her to the corner of the room, where they couldn’t be seen behind the curtain. She reached over, wiped the moisture from Maggie’s cheeks, and then held her face in her hands. “Also unlike adults, kids have an uncanny ability to bounce back.” They glanced over at the bed when she heard the baby stirring. Kylie opened her eyes and immediately smiled. “And the optimism is palpable.”

Maggie let out a laugh, the relief in her eyes clear now. This incident could’ve ended many different ways. Jonathan had been too confident in his decision earlier, but Maggie had kept her cool and assessed the situation appropriately.

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